It all started with a hole in the ground.
I was in the backyard with our contractor, gazing into a deep trench where they’d hit groundwater. He said it was pure clay—impossible to compact for building. I asked if I could use it for ceramics. He said, “I don’t see why not.”

That was it—I was hooked on the mystery of working with the earth beneath our feet.
And so, in this Year of the Horse, I’m experimenting with our wild Ojai clay on my horse sculptures.

Each firing is a new discovery. As they go through the fire, the surfaces shift and transform—no two come out the same. The unpredictable surface patina brings a unique trace of Ojai to the works. Sometimes, combining my luster glaze with Ojai wild clay creates a chestnut tone that shifts into soft violet, almost lavender, luminous in different lighting.

When I’m creating with our wild clay, I often think of the indigenous Chumash people and their deep relationship with the natural elements in Ojai. It reminds me how extraordinary it is to take something as ordinary as mud from our yard and transform it into art fired to stone, with each equine sculpture carrying the essence of Ojai.

This Sunday, the first of the wild herd will appear at the California Coastal Horse Rescue in Ojai, for
the Day of the Horse fundraiser, April 26, from 11–3.
And you’re always welcome to reach out for a studio visit: val@freemanart.com